Episode 16: 27 Club: Burn Out or Fade Away?

Rock and roll. The devil’s music. Destroyer of youth and molder of the juvenile delinquents. From hip-cropping television appearances to record burning protests, the good people (whoever that’s supposed to be) have been trying to censor the attitudes and prevalence of rock music. And the stars started dying. Young and rebellious, the heroes of counter-culture became victims to their lifestyles in alarming numbers beginning in 1969. After the deaths of such notables as Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones), Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison (The Doors) all occurred while the musicians were aged 27, an irresistible coincidence was noted by fans the world over. With the suicide of grunge icon Kurt Cobain occurring at the same age over twenty years later, ‘The 27 Club’ officially became the stuff of urban legend. We take a look at what early death does for the legacy of a rockstar and ask the question, is it really better to burn out than to fade away?